Can



H. SEBELL K Aug. 31, w37.

CAN

Filed Jan. 12, 1935 hwenTor. Harry SebeH by/MMM l ATTYS.

Patented Aug. 3 1, 1937 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN Application January 12, 1935, serial No. 1,521

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cans of the type which are constructed to be opened by tearing from the can body a circumferential tear strip, yand an object of the invention is to provide an 5 improved can of this type in which after the can has been opened by tearing out the tear strip, one end of the can will remain hinged to the can body and thereby constitute a hinged closure for the can.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawing some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of a can embodying my invention showing the closure-forming end of the can applied to the can body but before it is sealed to said can body.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the can.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the closure sealed to the can with the double lock seam somewhat exaggerated and illustrated in a more or less conventional manner.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the can opened and the manner in which the closure is hinged to the can body.

Fig. 5 is asectional view showing a modied form of the invention.

In the drawing, I indicates the can body and 2 the end of the can which forms the can closure after the can is opened. Fitting within the can body I at the open end thereof is a collar 3, the upper end 4 of which constitutes the closurereceiving portion of the can. This upper end 4 is bent over to form a bead and the can end 2 is shown as of the plug type, it having the vertical curb or wall portion 5 which fits within the bead 4. When the can is first sealed after having been lled, the end 2 is connected to the body I by means of a double lock seam 6 as shown in Fig. 3. In making this double lock seam the can body is formed at its upper end with an outwardly extending seaming flange l,

and the can end 2 is also formed with an outwardly extending peripheral seaming flange 8 which mates the seaming flange l. After the end 2 is applied to the can the latter is sealed by rolling the two mating flanges 'I and 8 into the double lock seam 6.

which ts into the groove I0 formed in the can body. This deforming operation may be accomplished by subjecting the collar and can body to the action of suitable beading rolls.

The, can body is provided with two circumferential lines of weakness II, I2 situated between 5 the deformation I0 and the double lock seam 6. These lines of weakness may be formed by scoring the can body or in any other suitable way, and they form between them a tear strip I3 which when torn out of the can separates 10 the end member 2 from the can body. The tear strip may be pro-vided with a tab` I as usual in cans of this type to which a pulling strain may be applied either through the medium of a key or any other implement forthe purpose of tear- 15 ing the tear strip from the can body.

In accordance with the present invention a connecting member I5 in the form of a strip of sheet metal is interposed between the collar 3 and the can body and is anchored at its lower 20 end to the can body below the tear strip I3 and at its upper end tothe can body above said tear strip. One convenient way of anchoring the lower end of the strip I5 to the can body is by using a strip which is long enough to extend be- 25 low the deformed portions 9, I0 of the collar 3 and can body I so that when said collar and can body are deformed to provide the interlocking rib 9 and groove I0, the lower end of the strip I5 will also be deformed and will be inter- 30 locked with said rib and groove.

One way of anchoring the upper end of the strip I5 to the can body above the tear strip is by providing said strip with a laterally-extending end I6 which is of sufficient length so 35 that it is conned between the seaming flanges 'I and 8. With this construction the rolling up of the seaming flanges` 'I and 8 into the double lock seam 6 will result in tying the upper end of the strip I5 into said double lock seam. 40

Another way of anchoring the upper end of. the strip I5 to the can body above the tear strip I3 would be to spot-weld said strip to the can body as indicated at I'I or to solder it to the can body. 45

In either case when the can is opened by tearing the tear strip from the can body, there will be formed a closure member for the can comprising the end member 2 and the portion I8 of the can body above the upper line of. weakness Il, 50 which portion I8 remains connected to'the can end 2 through the double lock seam 6. vThis closure member remains connected to the can body through the medium of the connecting strip I5, which strip functions as a hinge mem- 5 ber and forms a hinged connection between the closure and the can body that permits the closure to be swung from its closed position to its open position shown in Fig. 4 and vice versa. Since the curb or Wall portion 5 of the closure fits tightly within the bead 4 of the collar, the closure memlber forms an effective cover or closure for the can after it has once been opened.

With this invention the closure member is always permanently attached to the can body and so cannot become misplaced afterthe can is opened.4

A can having this construction is adapted 'for use in packaging various materials and is especially advantageous where the material contained in thed can is of such a nature that it is desirable to open the can frequently to remove some of its contents and then to close again the partially emptied can.

I claim:

1. A can having a can body provided near its top with two circumferential lines of weakness extending entirely th-ereabout, forming between them a tear strip adapted to be torn from the can body, a collarvtting within the can body at the top thereof and extending above and below the tear strip, said collar and can body being beaded together below the tear strip and the upper edge of the collar forming a closure-receiving portion, a closure tting the closurereceiving portion of said collar and permanently secured to the can body above the tear strip by a double lock seam and a one-piece integral strip of exible sheet metal situated between the can body and the collar and permanently secured to the can body and colIar at the point where they are beaded together, the upper end of said strip being rolled into said double lock seam, whereby when the tear strip is removed from the can body said strip of exible sheet metal constitutes a flexing connecting member between the closure and the can body which by its flexing permits the closure to be opened and closed.

2. A can having a body provided near its top with two circumferential lines of weakness extending thereabout, forming between them a tear strip adapted to be torn from the can body, a collar within the can body at the top thereof and extending above and below the tear strip, said collar and can body being secured together below the tear strip and the upper edge of the collar forming a closure'reeeiving portion, a closure fitting the closure receiving portion of said collar and permanently secured to the can body above the tear strip by a double lock seam, and a one-piece integral strip of flexible sheet metal situated between the can body and the collar, the upper end of, said strip being rolled into said double lock seam to permanently secure the same to the can body, the low-er end of said strip being permanently secured to the can body below the tear strip, whereby when the tear strip is removed from the can body said strip of exible sheet metal constitutes a exing connecting member between the closure and the can body which by its exing permits the closure to be opened and closed.

HARRY SEBELL. 

